CLEVELAND, Ohio--The giant presses that once stamped out hoods and door panels at Chrysler's Twinsburg plant are finding new homes -- and one of them is China.

The Gisele Scan, a 469-foot cargo ship docked at the Port of Cleveland, is taking on massive press sections and parts-filled containers for delivery to the Port of Xingang.

It's been slow going because of the weather and the need to carefully position the bulk cargo on board for a safe voyage, said David Gutheil, vice president for maritime and logistics at the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority.

The ship will sail eastward, Gutheil said, crossing the Atlantic Ocean and heading through the Suez Canal.

The presses are ultimately destined for a Hawtai Autobody Co. plant in Kangbashi New District Ordos, Inner Mongolia.

It makes sense that a Chinese company might scoop up some of the presses, said Paul Schroeder, assistant visiting professor of political science at Case Western Reserve University and an expert on China.

The Chinese are often on the lookout for equipment deals when plants close in the United States, he said.

"The auto industry in China is probably the strongest industry right now of any other in the country," Schroeder said. "And it's growing."

"Why cant Caterpillar make a profit exporting mini-excavators to China? The answer is simple: China has a 30% tariff on all excavators. In fact it has a similar high tariff on just about every vehicle, be it a Ford car, a GMC truck, a Harley Davidson motorcycle, or a giant mining machine made by Bucyrus International."

The United States Constitution, Article I, Section 8: “The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;...To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations,...”

The Tariff Act of 1789 was the first national source of revenue for the newly formed United States.

Not much market here for old and probably obsolete tools like these. Sold at auction, and some went to Canada some to China, some somewhere else. No big deal. The Twinsburg plant had been on the edge for years before finally closing in 2009.

“How do you like them apples, UAW? No expensive union contracts where those presses are going. Well, you killed the golden goose and I suspect that there will be more such moves in the future. The government bailout of GM has only delayed their decline.”

7
posted on 12/16/2011 6:04:48 PM PST
by Right Wing Assault
(Dick Obama is more inexperienced now than he was before he was elected.)

Those high tech., high speed, robotic machines went to China. It’s that high tech., high speed equipment that’s putting Americans out of work. [Little irony and sarcasm there. Decades ago, our leaders began sending machines made during WWI to China.]

Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.